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Batch Processing is the sequential execution of a series of programs ("jobs") on a computer. The term batch originated in the days when programmers wrote code on paper forms which would be keypunched onto 80-column punch cards or paper tape. The cards
or tape would then be passed to the system operator ("sysop") who would schedule the task and later stage feed the program into the computer. Because a
number of tasks would be 'batched' together rather than be put into the system immediately the tasks were referred to as "batch
jobs".
In many companies, the batch jobs would be scheduled on a timetable, for example 'end of day' and 'end of quarter' and could
be initiated automatically by the Job Control Language or
manually by the operator. The major benefit of batch processing is controlling the load placed on the computer by careful
scheduling. For example, a long processor-intensive task would be timed to run over-night allowing for timesharing usage or short jobs during the day. When a batch job begins, processing
will usually continue until it is completed unless there is an error but some mainframe machines could process multiple batched
jobs concurrently.
Although the use of batch processing reduced with the move to personal computing and the drop in computing costs it is still
used extensively by many large commercial businesses for back office
tasks.
The opposite to batch processing is transaction
processing and is not to be confused with DOS batch files.
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